The Ghost and the Raven
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: Canon. CC. A young girl and her Organoid were found by Maj. Schubaltz and brought to the palace to be trained. A few months later, Prozen finds Raven in the desert. Will they become friends? Or enemies? Bad summary. Ch 3- The Shadow Raptor. Please R & R!
1. A New Arrival

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yeah, I have officially put _**The Dark Savior**_ on hiatus for a little while, at least while I work on my other fics, including this one. Lol. Now, you all know _**The Dark Savior**_ was the first fic I really ever made, but this fic was the first genuine fic that I made just for this site. I made it, like the first drabbles for _**Of Zoids and Organoids**_, after my OGT prep in January. This is one of my favorite fics, both because it is Ibeyla's main fic, and that this is one of my first really shots at fanfiction that tried to write before I got this account. Btw, this will be told in first person, from Ibeyla's POV. Don't nag me if Raven seems OOC, because this is before he was turned into an emotionless soldier, and if you've seen the episode 'The Distant Stars', you know he was pretty nice (and adorable ;D) as a kid. Lol. Enough of my yapping, here's chapter 1- A New Arrival!!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I do not own Zoids. I only own Ibeyla, Obscura, all my other OCs, and my fics. Raven, no, he's not mine. T.T

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_**.:Chapter 1- A New Arrival:.**_

"Ibeyla, come here! There's someone I want you to meet!!" I heard Prozen shout for me from down the hall.

"Coming!!" I shouted back, hastening my speed as I got ready. I ran a comb through my long midnight-blue hair, before I tied it into a long pony-tail, leaving a little down to frame my pale-skinned face and partly obscure my bright emerald eyes, which were brighter than most peoples'. My mark shined in the light filtering in through the partly opened curtains, giving it the illusion that it was glowing. My mark was a sapphire orb surrounded by four triangles, and fourteen violet orbs between the circle and the triangles. In between the four triangles were four smaller triangles, and all of the triangles were the same color as the orb (just picture a compass rose with a circle in the middle which is surrounded by fourteen tiny purple circles). Even though I was only around eight, I was really energetic and a good runner, and was pretty strong from my age.

"Ibeyla! Hurry up and come here!" Prozen shouted for me again, and by his voice I could tell his patience was wearing thin.

"Hold on a minute!!" I yelled back, hurrying to get ready faster. I quickly threw on my black shoes and my sapphire blue cloak, which hung down to my waist, partly covering the deep teal shirt I was wearing.

"Obscura, I want you to stay here." I half-whispered to the light blue hulk asleep on my bed. A sleepy growl was my only answer, but it was good enough for me. "Good girl." I whispered, slipping out the door and closing it with a soft click. I turned and ran down the hall as fast as I could, trying to find out where Prozen was shouting from. Even though I had only been at the base for a little over a month, I knew it like the back of hand.

"Ibeyla, I'm…" Prozen started to shout, but I rounded the turn and saw him before I could finish.

"I'm right here!" I cut him off as I ran over to him, gasping for breath.

"Good, there you are…" he said, smirking, "… there's someone I want you to meet."

"Who?" I asked, but then I saw the little child around my age standing a little behind him, like he was scared of me.

"This is Raven. I found him out alone in the desert and brought him back for training. You both need someone to talk to, and I'm sure you'll both be good training partners." Prozen said, motioning to the ebony-haired child still hiding behind him.

"Raven, this is Ibeyla. I found her alone in the desert, like you. She's a good Zoids pilot, and I'm sure she could teach you a thing or two about piloting Zoids." Prozen chatted to the young boy, "I'm going to go get your Zoids ready for training at 1:10, why don't you get settled in? Ibeyla will show you to your room, which is number three-eighteen, and will show you around the rest of the base." He added quickly as he turned and walked towards the Zoids hanger.

"Hello Raven! Why don't I show you around? If you don't know your way around, you'll get lost in here forever!!" I said, smiling. He just looked at me, like he wasn't sure if I was going to be friendly or hurt him. "Oh c'mon, Raven! I won't bite! What's wrong?" I asked inquisitively, trying to get some kind of reaction from him. With that, he looked up at me sadly, and I wondered what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Raven?" I asked, my happy expression gone. He just stared at me with his grey-violet eyes, still not moving or saying anything. "I know what'll cheer you up!" I shouted suddenly, making him jump slightly, "Some candy!!" I grabbed his arm and literally dragged him into the mess hall. It was all but deserted, but I saw some food was already being set out for lunch.

"Wait here!" I told him as I ran over to the kitchen, shouting inside. "Hey Lydia, do you have any candy?" Lydia soon produced some candy, handing it to me.

"Now, don't eat this all at once, or you'll have a heart-attack!!" She joked, lightly tapping my arm with a wooden spoon.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to eat it all!" I replied, smirking. Even though I had only been here a little while, I had made friends in 'high places'. I ran back over to where Raven was now sitting, and spilled my treasure all over the table. Raven stared at all of the candy with a shocked expression, and looked up at me as I ate a piece of chocolate.

"Go on, it's really good! You need to get your strength up!" I mumbled through the chocolate stuffed in my mouth. He picked up a small piece of piece of candy and popped it in his mouth, but quickly spit it out, coughing.

"Careful, those are _really_ sour!!" I laughed at his expression. He started to laugh as well, especially after I started to choke on the chocolate that was still in my mouth. We quickly finished and threw away the trash, and started out.

"Thanks Lydia!!" I shouted as we walked out. I didn't catch her answer, for by the time she heard us we were already outside and in the hallway. I spent the rest of the hour showing Raven around the base part of the palace, and eventually we made our way to the Zoids hanger. Raven became downcast all of a sudden, and I wondered why as I walked towards a particular, white, Rev Raptor.

"This is my Zoid!! It's a modified Rev Raptor I call Ghost Raptor!!" I couldn't help but smile in pride at my Zoid. Raven only mumbled something, and I turned to him. "What's wrong, Raven? Does my Raptor scare you?" I asked jokingly, trying to get him to laugh.

"I… I don't really like Zoids…" was Raven's eventual answer. I was shocked, how could someone not like Zoids?! I thought about it, and had a brilliant idea.

"Raven, there's someone I think you need to meet!!" I yelled, grabbing his arm and leading him out of the hanger, towards my room.

"Who?" Raven asked, obviously very confused.

"You'll see…" I replied with an evil grin.

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**AN**- Raven's cute as a kid. XP Lol. This fic will be really cute, and although it starts out before CC, it will eventually go into events and will be canon. And for the last freaking time, this is not a Mary-Sue fic! Anyway, I hope y'all like this fic so far!! I'm sorry this chapter was so short, but I wanted to save Raven's hilarious encounter with Obscura for next chapter. This fic will be funny, but will also have some serious parts, such as intense Zoid fights and such. You'll like it. Again, this was the very first fic I wrote exclusively for this site, so the first few chapters may seem a little awkward. This is my second main fic, like _**The Dark Savior**_. And like _**The Dark Savior**_, this fic will have a side project, called _**Lost**_. It'll be even funnier and cuter than this fic!! Lol. I'll get the first chapter typed up sometime. Anyway, please review!! **Anonymous reviews are welcome and will be replied to in my profile!!** Just so ya know, **all flamers will be fed to Leiden and Geier!!**

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	2. The Teal Mirage

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Lol. So, how do you like this fic so far? This is going to be the first of a trilogy of fics, all about Raven and Ibeyla, this one about events before and during CC, the second one about the years in the desert after the Death Saurer, and the last about events during (and slightly after) GF. And I have at least two side projects planned, _**Lost**_ and a tie-in fic, _**Predatory Instincts**_. Lol. I've already had a few people ask me to continue _**The Dark Savior**_, but unfortunately, that fic is going to be on hiatus until further notice. I just lost interest in it, along with it's side projects, _**Fury's Core**_ and _**Broken**_. I'm sorry, but I'm the kind of author who drifts from project to project, and can only work on fics when I really feel like it and can get my heart into it, otherwise it just doesn't feel right, know what I mean? Sorry if I have disappointed anyone, but I assure you, that fic is not dead, its just on hiatus, on break for awhile. Back to this. This is some of my best, funniest, and cutest work. Lol. Hope y'all like this chappie, this will make you laugh hysterically, guaranteed. Lol. Here it is, chapter 2- The Teal Mirage!! (:P)

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_**.:Chapter 2- The Teal Mirage:.**_

"Wait here, I'll be back in a moment!" I told Raven with a grin much too large for my face. He simply nodded as I turned and walked to my room, which was only a few feet away. I half-closed the door to keep him from seeing the blue hulk on my bed. Even though it wasn't really a surprise, I wanted it to be. I turned to my bed, where the light blue lump was still curled up.

"Obscura! Up girl!!" I called, staring at the hulk. A few seconds later the ball twitched slightly, but then curled up tighter. "Obscura! Up now!!" I shouted, jumping up onto the bed. Finally, the lump started to move, stretching casually like a cat disturbed from its slumber. Impatient, I pushed on her shoulder, trying to get her up. Yawning, she lifted her head and turned to look at me with sleepy violet eyes, her sword-horn lying flat against her head (picture the Geno Breaker's). Another shove from me got her moving. She began wagging her massive tail and licked my cheek, happy to see me. She growled contently, nuzzling my shoulder.

"It's good to see you to, girl." I chuckled, "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet!" I shouted happily, jumping off the bed. Yawning again, she followed and stood behind me, stretching her large red wings. "Now listen, I don't want you to scare him, okay? He's only my age and just got here this morning. He's going to be my partner in Zoid training! Besides, I doubt he's ever seen an Organoid before!" I told her, praying she wouldn't do anything rash. A nod and a growl from her told me the Organoid understood as I walked towards the door. "Now wait here for a minute, girl!" I whispered as I slipped out the door, back to Raven.

"Okay Raven, I want you to meet my friend, Obscura!!" I said proudly, opening the door.

"Obscura? Her name is Obscura? Why?" he asked, obviously confused, "Where is she anyway?" That's when I realized that Obscura wasn't in my room anymore.

"Oh great…" I groaned, "Obscura!! I told you not to do this!!" I growled under my breath as I started walking around the hallway, waving my arms. Raven must have thought I was insane, running around the hall, waving my arms, screaming "Obscura!! Where are you?!".

I ran past Raven, following a noise I had heard, but when he turned to follow me he ran into something hard. I heard him hit something, and turned to look back at him.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at him, confused. Before he had a chance to talk, the air directly behind him warped and twisted, like reality was bending. I held back a laugh as Obscura materialized behind him with a low growl, knowing what Raven's reaction would be. Obscura bent down and gently nosed his shoulder, hissing loudly. Raven turned very slowly to face whatever was behind him, and found himself staring into her large, glowing, deep violet eyes. He shrieked and bolted behind me, holding my arm shakily.

"Wh… what is that thing?!" he muttered, staring wide-eyed at Obscura's hulking figure. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"That's Obscura, she's my Organoid. I named her Obscura because she can turn invisible, like those Helkats in the hanger. She was just trying to say hello, why don't you say hello, Raven?" I said evilly, stepping out from between the two.

"Uh… h-hello Ob-Obscura…" he gulped, obviously terrified of the large light blue Organoid as she walked up to him. Obscura bent down to his level and looked him in the eyes, almost like she wanted to hypnotize him with her glittering eyes. She stared at him for a moment before she smiled, and started wagging her tail and then licked his cheek.

"Does she always do that?" Raven asked, glancing at me momentarily.

"No, she usually only does that to me. Matter of fact, I've never seen here warm-up to someone that fast!! That means she really likes you!!" I reassured him she was no threat.

"If you say so…" he muttered as Obscura licked him again. I couldn't help but laugh. Obscura purred and nuzzled his shoulder, much like an oversized cat. Raven laughed and petted her head, causing her to purr louder and wag her tail.

"See… she's not that mean…" I joked, walking up to them. Raven just laughed, still patting the sapphire Organoid's head. Obscura was purring loudly, and her long tail was still wagging, the blue-bladed tip curling and uncurling.

"Yeah, she just… surprised me…" Raven said, still patting the purring Organoid.

"Sure Raven…" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. He glared at me, but instead of intimidating me it made me laugh.

"Oh! We're going to be late for training!! C'mon, we gotta get to the hanger or Major Schubaltz will kill us!!" I shouted suddenly, remembering what Prozen had said earlier.

"Major Schubaltz… who's that?" Raven asked, looking at me, confused.

"He's my Zoids teacher and yours too, but if we don't hurry he'll teach us how to run around the hanger for the rest of the week instead of piloting!! C'mon!!" I yelled, knowing we would both be in a lot of trouble if we were late. I grabbed his arm, and the three of us took off towards the Zoids hanger.

_**.:End of Chapter 2:.**_

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**AN**- Lol. I liked this chapter. Poor Raven… he never has good luck when meeting Organoids, does he? XD Lol. Sorry this chapter was so short, but I wanted to save Raven's first encounter with Major Schubaltz and his first Zoids lesson for next chapter. The next few chapters will be when Raven first arrives, and after that I will skip ahead to a few years before CC. I know you guys probably don't want to read chapter after chapter of Raven and Ibeyla's adventures. Lol. Btw, I posted the first side project to this fic. It's a one-shot titled _**Lost**_, and it's very funny and cute. Please R & R it sometime, you won't be disappointed. Lol. Again, **I will reply to all anonymous reviewers in my profile!!** And again, **all flamers will be fed to Leiden and Geier!!** Lol. Please review!! ;)

_**Ibeyla :P**_


	3. The Shadow Raptor

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! I'm SOOO sorry I have neglected this fic!!! I mean, I have at least the next two chapters written in one of my fanfiction notebooks, but I've just been too lazy to type them. But, upon a friendly request from CrazyIrishBitch23, I'm typing and posting chapter 3. I'm sorry for the wait, but I've been _so_ busy with my other fics that I… sorta… forgot about this one. ^^; Sorry. XP Remember guys, this was some of the first fanfiction I ever wrote, so expect it to not be my best. Alright? XP anyway, here is chapter 3- The Shadow Raptor!!

Remember, this particular chapter was written on March 12, 2008, so it's not going to be up to my normal, high standards of quality, but it's got this charm that prevents me from wanting to change it. Heh. ^^;

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_**.:Chapter 3- The Shadow Raptor:.**_

"Hurry! We're going to be- late…" I trailed off as Raven and I skidded to a stop in front of the hangar, Obscura sliding into us with a surprised roar causing a pile-up. Standing in front of us was a slightly annoyed Major Schubaltz.

"And just where have you been? You're ten minutes late!" he said, tapping his foot and narrowing his eyes slightly. I groaned, suddenly remembering training was supposed to start at 1:10, not 1:20.

"Oops…" I muttered, "Major Schubaltz sir, I'm terribly sorry, Obscura pulled one of her tricks and we had to track her down, sir." I told him, standing as straight as one possibly could after running for nearly five minutes straight.

"Again?! You really should put a bell on her or something!" Major Schubaltz said, beginning to laugh. Even though he was a Major, he was probably one of the nicest people I had ever met. I started to laugh, even Raven laughed slightly, though Obscura huffed and turned her nose up unhappily, hating the thought of having a bell put on her.

"Well, we better get started then." Karl said, turning and starting into the Zoids hangar.

"But Major Schubaltz sir, Raven doesn't have a Zoid." I spoke up, remembering that Raven had only arrived this morning.

"Really?" he faked surprise, "Well, I wouldn't be too sure of that. A new Zoid just arrived, and minister Prozen told me it was for him." Karl answered. I nodded, and followed him in as he entered the hangar, Raven and Obscura starting after me. We walked over to the Ghost Raptor, and sure enough there was a shiny, new black Rev Raptor beside it.

"Minister Prozen called it the 'Shadow Raptor'. He said it is a specially modified Raven Raptor model, which is a sub category Rev Raptor, like the Ghost Raptor, only black." He explained to us, "But I'm sure Raven doesn't know how to pilot a Zoid yet, so Ibeyla I thought it best that Raven goes with you and you show him how to run the basic controls. Just run the raptor around the desert, and maybe let Raven try if he catches on." Karl suggested, turning to me.

"That sounds great!" I shouted, "Come on, let's go Raven!" I added excitedly as I grabbed his arm. I led him over to the Ghost, and we stopped in front of it. The Zoid growled softly, and bent down so its lower jaw rested on the floor, popping open the cockpit.

"Ibeyla, why did your Zoid just move on its own?!" Raven asked, staring wide-eyed at the white Raptor as it moved without a pilot.

"Oh I forgot!" I replied, "The Ghost Raptor has a special chip implanted in its Core. It was specially designed by Major Schubaltz's brother, Thomas, just for my Raptor. It lets the Zoid react to its environment and threats, such as an incoming missile that a pilot can't detect. It can even let it see Helkats with their Optic Camouflage on! Its really cool, its like the Zoid is a real animal!" I stated happily, walking up to the Zoid. It made a quiet purr as I hugged its snout, wagging its short tail happily.

"Its good to see you too. Ready to go out on a run?" I asked it as I ran my hand over its snout. A happy growl meant 'yes! I do!'. With that I turned to Raven.

"It wants to go, are you ready?" I asked, patting my Zoid's snout subconsciously.

"You… you can understand it?!" Raven asked, looking at me strangely.

"Kind of…" I smiled slightly, "I can tell what it wants based on its tone and movement."

"Oh, okay…" Raven sighed, walking a little closer to the Zoid. I jumped up into the pilot seat, and turned back to see Raven just staring up at me.

"What's wrong? Is it too high for you?" I asked, not knowing why Raven hadn't climbed up yet.

"Yeah…" he said quietly, looking at the smooth slippery armor that covered the Zoid's face.

"Don't worry, I'll lift you up." Major Schubaltz said as he lifted Raven up into the cockpit.

"Thanks, Major Schubaltz!" I told him as I helped Raven put on the safety harness and strap himself into the back passenger seat.

"No worries!" Karl smiled, "You guys can just call me Karl when we're out alone on training. No need for formalities when no one's around, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks again Karl!" I shouted to him as the cockpit closed. Karl nodded and stepped off to the side, giving the Ghost room as it stood to its feet.

"You guys go ahead and go on out, I'll come out and check on you in about an hour. Ibeyla, if Raven feels comfortable enough with the controls and you think he's ready, send Obscura to retrieve the Shadow Raptor for him." Karl told me on the com-link with his communicator.

"Kay, see you in an hour!" I answered before he clicked off, the Raptor sprinting out of the hangar through the open double blast doors. Obscura flew after us, following us in the air. The Ghost Raptor was lighter than most other Rev Raptors due to the thinner armor, so it was able to move faster and cover more ground in a shorter amount of time. It also had a smoother gait than normal Revs, the trip less jarring and more comfortable for Raven and me.

Raven kept quiet the entire time, just looking out of the cockpit at the featureless desert; as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen in his life. I focused on piloting the Raptor, which wanted to go off and explore near the shore of the nearby lake instead of run out into the boring sand dunes, so I had to keep redirecting its course. Obscura eventually settled on the Ghost's back, curling up to rest in between the two Counter Size blades.

After only around twenty minutes of running, the Ghost Raptor had arrived at the favorite place Karl and I liked to train- in the sand dunes. Raven tore his gaze from the bland landscape to glance around the cockpit as the Raptor slowed to a stop, growling quietly as it announced its arrival. I flicked a few switches and undid my harness as I prepared the controls to teach Raven.

"Okay Raven, to move, you push and pull on the control here, which is called the yoke, like in an airplane, but I just call it the controls." I instructed, shaking the controls for emphasis. "You move these to turn as well. These buttons here activate the Combat Command System, which activates the weapons and puts them on standby and also tells the Zoid to fight. This lever here is the Emergency Eject System. If you pull it, the cockpit will open and you'll get ejected out, like an airplane. Not fun, believe me! Only use that if your life depends on it! To open the cockpit regularly, push this button here or tell your Raptor to 'open canopy' or 'open up'. These switches here activate the Counter Size blades and Handguns. Those are your weapons in combat, but you can also use the Crush Claws and talons and teeth if it comes to close combat or if your other weapons are damaged. Oh, and make sure you ALWAYS have on your safety harness!! If you don't, you can get really hurt!"

"Okay… but how do you start it?" he asked, taking in all the information.

"Oh, well, if your Zoid is like mine and has a Core chip, it is always aware of its surroundings and will be on as soon as you walk over to it. Most ordinary Zoids will automatically start as soon as you approach. If it doesn't, you can start in manually by pushing these two buttons here and here and then turning this handle here." I explained.

"Okay, do you think I could try?" he asked; now seeming excited.

"Well, I think it would be best if you used your own Zoid. I'll send Obscura to fetch the Shadow Raptor for you." I replied, smiling. I popped open the cockpit and stood up, facing the Zoid's back.

"Obscura!" her head popped up from where she had been sleeping on the Ghost's back, "Go get the Shadow Raptor from Zoid hangar 3 please!" she spread her ruby wings, and shot off towards the palace in a flash of blue light.

"How can an Organoid pilot a Zoid, Ibeyla? They're too big to fit in the pilot's seat…" Raven asked as I sat back down.

"Well, Organoids can fuse into a Zoid's Core, and can control it and make it stronger. They can really help in combat, and some have special abilities, like Obscura can make a Zoid invisible like herself. And they also have great personalities!" I laughed, explaining to Raven.

"Cool, I think I need one!" Raven laughed. I chuckled as well, until a beep from the radar caught my attention and made me turn. A small Zoid was approaching from the northwest, but I could tell from the radar image that it was just Obscura in the Shadow Raptor. My hunch was confirmed as the obsidian Shadow Raptor appeared over the crest of a dune and bounded over beside my Zoid. Obscura brought the Raptor directly alongside the Ghost, and both Zoids bent down and opened the cockpit covers.

"How did the Shadow Raptor get here so fast?" Raven asked as he undid his safety harness, looking over at his waiting Zoid.

"Obscura can make the Zoid faster by fusing with it, so it got here quicker." I answered as we both slid down out of the cockpit. I shook the sand from my cloak and walked over to the Raptor, helping Raven up into the cockpit. I quickly checked to make sure everything was in order and re-showed Raven everything he needed to know at that point.

"Kay, I'm going back to the Ghost now. Obscura's going to stay in the Core, and will take control if something happens, though I doubt anything bad'll happen, I have a feeling you'll be fine." I smiled as I jumped down from the Shadow Raptor. Raven nodded and closed the canopy, his Zoid standing to its full height. I jumped in my Zoid and did the same, opening a link with Raven as my Zoid stood.

"Okay Raven, ease the controls forward a little bit, that will start you moving." I told him as my own Zoid moved forward. Raven's Zoid soon was following.

"Good, now let's get going a little faster!" I said, seeing how he was comfortable with piloting the Rev. After a couple of minutes, Raven was handling the Zoid amazingly well. Even I hadn't gotten the 'hang' of piloting that quickly. Deep in thought, I jumped when Raven opened a link.

"Hey Ibeyla, want to have a fight?" he asked excitedly, smiling broadly.

"Well… okay! Let's only use the Counter Size and our claws, you still don't know how to use and aim the Handguns, so you could accidentally hit the cockpit." I answered, swing out the blades on my Raptor's back.

"Good idea, yeah, I don't want to hurt you by accident." Raven laughed, the blades swinging out on his Zoid as well.

"Remember, keep the power off, we don't want to mess up our Zoids." I said, knowing Prozen would have my hide if I ruined Raven's brand new Zoid.

"I was thinking the same thing." Raven laughed.

"Obscura, separate from the Shadow Raptor; we want this to be a fair fight." I told my Organoid. With an affirmative growl, she jettisoned from the Zoid and landed on the crest of a nearby dune. "Alright, here are the rules. 1- no weapons, only Counter Size and claws allowed. 2- no cheap shots or severely damaging blows, we don't want Prozen grounding us for a week for damaging our Zoids. And 3- to win, you need to land three precise blows

"Ready?" I asked, my Zoid roaring a challenge.

"Yeah I'm ready." Raven answered, "Don't go easy on me!"

"I won't, just be careful and don't push your Zoid too hard." I said, "Alright, let's go!!" Our Zoids charged at each other, blades at the ready. Just before they impacted, I veered away, landing beside Raven. I tapped his tail with my Counter Size's blade, indicating a hit.

"One for me!" I said happily, my Zoid roaring in victory. Raven spun around, blades out and ready. I jumped straight up, avoiding the blades, and landed right on Raven's back, slamming his Zoid to the ground on its belly, the claws on my Raptor's feet tapping against his armor.

"That's two Raven! One more and I win!!" I said excitedly, his Raptor snorting unhappily as it struggled. Raven retaliated, shaking me off. I fell on my side and jumped to my feet. To my surprise, Raven had already gotten to his feet and pounced at me. He pinned me on my back with his claws, the large talons on the Shadow Raptor's feet tapping on the stomach armor of my Zoid.

"That's one for me Ibeyla!!" Raven smirked, his Zoid snarling happily. I struggled, but was unable to free myself. But I had an idea. I hit the Optic Camouflage, and my Zoid turned invisible.

"What?!" Raven yelled as my Zoid vanished beneath his claws. Startled, he jumped back and spun around, searching for my disappeared Zoid. I smirked and snuck close to him, preparing to finish him off. I swiped at him, striking his leg, which gave out, sending him toppling over onto his side. My Zoid materialized next to him, clawed foot on his side.

"Three! I win!!" I shouted in victory, my Zoid roaring in triumph. I released Raven's Zoid and helped him up, making sure his Zoid wasn't damaged.

"No fair! I didn't know you had Optics!" he protested my unfair use of the Optic Camouflage.

"Yeah… that was kinda unfair, but I couldn't get away from you. You did really good for a beginner, Raven! I'm very impressed!! You landed a good solid hit!" I congratulated him, and he immediately forgot about my unfair use of the Optics. He smiled and nodded, folding the Counter Size back and deactivating the Combat System.

"What's going on?! You two are at each other's throats already?!" Major Schubaltz interrupted as his Zoid came over a sand dune, seeing my Counter Size and a scratch on Raven's new Zoid's paint.

"No, Raven and I were just having a play fight! He's really good with a Zoid!" I responded with a laugh, turning my Raptor to face his Zaber Fang.

"Who won?" Karl asked, looking between us.

"Me! But Raven managed to pin me down on his first attempt! I kinda had to use my Optics to escape…" I said, trailing off at the end.

"Really?" Karl asked, turning to Raven's Zoid, "That's amazing Raven! No one has managed to pin Ibeyla on their first attempt! Well done!!"

"Thanks!" Raven said, smiling.

"Well…" Karl said, turning to look at us both, "… I think you two have had enough fun for one day. Let's head back to the palace and get that scratch patched up on Raven's Zoid before Prozen sees…" he said, his Zaber turning back towards the palace. I nodded in agreement, my Zoid starting after him, though Raven didn't move.

"Wait!" Raven yelled suddenly across the link, making both Karl and I spin around.

"What? Is your Zoid damaged?" Karl asked, his Zoid turning to look at Raven's Zoid more closely.

"No, I want to fight you! Ibeyla and me against you!" Raven said happily. I was stunned, I mean, he just learned how to pilot and he wants to take on a Major in the Imperial army?!

"Raven! He's a Major! And he has a Zaber Fang!" I shouted in shock, not believing he wanted to fight Karl.

"Aw, c'mon Ibeyla! We can take him!" he said confidently, smiling.

"Well… if you two truly want to try… why not?" Karl said, smirking, "You two can use your unpowered Counter Sizes and claws and teeth, and I'll use my Zaber's claws and fangs, but no guns."

"Alright, if you say so… let's go Raven!!"

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_**.:End of Chapter 3:.**_

**AN**- I made this chapter extra long to _try_ and make up for the ungodly long wait I put you through. It was a refreshing change to write this, it put me in a good mood. ^-^ Little Raven is so cute!! XD He's so innocent, and Ibeyla is so adorable and sweet. Do you think Karl was believable? I mean, he strikes me as the kind of guy who would be good with kids, but that's just me. ^^; Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!! I don't know when the next chapter will be done, it may take awhile, so don't expect a chapter really really soon, but ya never know. But, thanks for reading and please review!! ;D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


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